Oceanic Socialist Republic
The Oceanic Socialist Republic (OSR) is a democratic socialist state in the southern region of Australia. Often referred to as 'New Oceania', 'Oceania' or simply 'the Republic' or 'the People' in many of the nation's official documents. The people of the OSR are referred to as 'Oceanian(s)' and on occasion 'Australian(s)' the latter originating from the OSR initially intending to rejoin to the Commonwealth of Australia Founding Founded by the 'New Oceania' revolutionary party when they seized control of Phillip Island on the 20th of November 2037. The nation began as a rebellion against, the Commonwealth of Australia, demanding reforms to the control of politician by business, the lack of representation in the government, declining infrastructure, education and health services coupled staggering privatisation and the racism and oppression of the Indigenous peoples and refugees. Since its founding the nation has grown to almost entirely control the state of Victoria and King Island in the Bass Strait. Government The OSR follows a unique form of government that brings elements of representative democracy and direct democracy, within the Founding Declaration this was referred to as “effectively direct democracy” leading to it being named Effective Democracy (ED). This form of government was designed to give the people maximum power whilst minimising the demand on individual citizens. ED consists of three levels of government, the People’s Voice, the Representative Council and the Administrative Council. The People’s Voice The founding New Oceania members that made up the first Representative Council determined that, in order to prevent the corruption and neglect that the people had faced in the Commonwealth of Australia, any governing body must have minimal power, save for emergency situations. As a result the government is structured in a way that all major decisions are decided by the people through referendum and the role of any government is to put that decision into action. The Founding Declaration states that “the people make our nation and are it’s greatest asset, therefore it is only fair the people’s voice is the loudest”, this lead to the People’s Voice referring to the control given to the citizens of the OSR. The OSR hold bimonthly referendums, during which the people vote on local and national issues, the result of these votes determines the stance of the nation and guides the action of the Representative Council. The people also elect the members of the Representative Council and can vote to have their Representative removed. Additionally, upon a nationwide consensus the people have the power to dissolve both the Representative and Administrative Councils. The People were given this power to regulate the Councils and to ensure that they remain loyal to their original purpose of representing the interests of the people. The Representative Council The Representative Council consists of 500 members, who are democratically elected by citizens of the OSR. The roles of the council are to act upon the decisions of the people, represent the nation in international situations and to make decisions in time sensitive matters. Representatives can serve a maximum of 4 years, but this can be extended if a state of national emergency is declared, or until the population they represent votes for their resignation. Representatives are paid no more than citizens, this is due to the disparity in payment that was experienced under the Commonwealth. Similarly, members of the council are kept under near constant watch and are heavily scrutinized, due to the high levels of corruption and corporate manipulation that was present under the Commonwealth, such practices are the most harshly punished crimes in OSR. The emergency powers of the Council include: * Restricting travel of citizens during a hazardous event (disease epidemic, natural disaster, war, etc.), limited to cerfews and exclusion zones, restriction can only be put in place if citizens are in immediate danger and must be lifted once that danger has passed. * Relocating citizens, only permitted in extreme cases where the region is still dangerous for citizens even with restricted travel or has been severely damaged. * Negotiating and making agreements with nations in situations that require a quick response (eg war, natural disaster) The Administrative Council The Administrative Council (AC) is responsible for the day to day operations of the OSR. Headed by the Administrators for the Departments of Defence, Logistics, Law, Health and Education. The AC is also charged with the improvement of each area; however, they require the approval of the Representative Council to make changes. The only case where the Administrative Council is not restricted by the Representative Council is in the case a national emergency is declared, where it is given the power to mobilise the ODF, access emergency reserves and can act independently, within existing law; during this time, should the Administrative Council request for a change to the law, the Representative Council must reconvene to determine a course of action. The Administrative Council can be dissolved at any time through the People’s Voice, even during a national emergency. Diplomatic Relations The OSR promotes peace and equality between socialist and communist nations and is a member of the United Socialist Nations. The state however does not shy away from conflict and it is seen as an necessity to topple oppressive monarchies, capitalist and 'pseudo-socialist' nations in order to achieve a global socialist system. Flags and Symbology Three different flags have served as the nation’s emblem since its founding. The New Oceania Flag The first flag to be used by the OSR, it was originally the flag of the New Oceania Party. Depicting the hammer and sickle over the Indigenous people's flag, it demonstrates the party's commitment to the Indigenous population and socialist ideals. The flag was only used for a few months before being replaced, it remains the flag of the New Oceania Party. The Southern StarsCategory:Nations in Australia